The south branch has been hot this year! I've never really
had much luck in previous years but this year...WOW!
Smallies, Northerns, Cats and even (this surprises me) Walleye.
I'm talking from Oak Ridge Forest Preserve on Blomberg Rd. to
where the two branches meet. It's hot baby!
On this site you have to have 10 post made before you can
start getting personal messages (PM's). Once you do that I can
turn you on to more info. In turn I'd like to know some about
the Kish where you fish, Marengo to say Belvidere. I've never
seen or heard any fishing reports north of Belvidere.
Try to get those 10 most (isn't that just silly) made and I'll
check back later this weekend to send you more info.

I'm certainly NOT the guy to give any real info about specific locations. I actually don't get to the Kish very much, and usually I head out towards the areas from Belvidere south/west of there. Had a great time at the Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve as a storm was rolling in (like sirens and all!) The fish went nuts, and I was getting fish every cast.

I can tell you last I traveled the north branch (several years ago) we were able to pick up at least one fish at all of the places we stopped—pretty much wherever a bridge crossed the river from Marengo west.

A neighbor who is a canoe nut tells me you can travel most of the north branch, and it's really a pretty paddle even if the fish don't show up. I believe there are a few campsites out near Garden Prairie that might give good info on canoeing that stretch. You might find some other paddling info online. I have only seen info about the stretch from Belvidere west which appears to be a nice stretch.

If you were to put a canoe in at Oak Ridge
the next real take out is Kishwaukee F.P.
You could take out at Blackhawk Spings on
Perryville. You would have to pull the canoe
up a small hill. From Oak Ridge to Blackhawk
Springs on Perryville is probably about 2.5 to
3 hour float, to Kishwaukee F.P. I would add
another hour to hour and a half.

I fish the kish alot. I always fish the holes and gravel bars and any strech that looks fishy. I always bring 2-3 crawdad crank baits 3-6 ft divers. white and black buzz baits, and soft plastics specifically 4" shaky head worms and green pumkin or green watermelon flake helgramites. A dusk stick to the buzz baits and keep walking up stream and cover water. If you find fishy deeper water crank it and follow up with soft plastics. Pitch wood with the shaky haed worms. you'll pull smallies,rock bass and pike pitching the wood. Tight lines. I use bait casting gear 12 lb flourocarbon line on a 5' rod to help dodge the trees. good luck.

__________________
"Fishy, fishy, fish, where could the fishy be." The meaning of life Monty Python.

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